Method of making strips for insoles



1935' E. J. RAY 2,010,827

METHOD OF MAKING STRIPS FOR INSOLES Original Filed May 13, 1933 lasted relation to the insole.

Patented Aug. 13, 1935 i ti e? r PATENT OFFICE METHOD-0F MAKING STRIPS FOR INSOI JES Eugene J1 Ray, Beverly, Mass, i assignor to. United Shoe MachineryCorporaticn, Paterson, N. J.,

I a corporation of'New Jersey Originalapplication .May 13, 1933,} Serial No.

670,907.;IDiyided and this application November 20, 1933, Seri rno. 698,767

zjclainsfilol'.18-59 This invention relates to strips tdmethtds, of making strips which are tobe, for example, attached to insoles to provide ribs or lips. to.

which shoeeuppers may be secured in lasted relation to the insoles.

tThe present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 6'70,907.,filed May 13, 1933, and directed to methods of making insoles.

inwardly of its opposite lateral margins, upperattaching strips which provide material to which the shoe upper may be temporarily secured in which provide material to which the upper may be temporarily secured, preferablyextend from about the tip line to the heel breast line of the insole and are made in different shapes dependingupon the manner in which'theshoe-upper isto be attached to the insole. a a

It is an object of the present inventiori to provide an improved method of making insole stripswhich may be readily attached to an insole and which are particularly adaptedto-provide mate rial to which a shoe upper be secured. As illustrated herein, the insole strips are composed of flexible material such as a'rubbe'r composition made, for example, of scrapcrepe'rubber mixed with fibre, and one form ofstrip hasa rib or lip extending upwardly from one edge of a wedge shaped base portion. strip is so positioned relatively to the base por tion of the strip that when the latter is applied to the outer face of an insole the rib will be inclined inwardly relatively tothe rnarginof the insole, thereby facilitating the attachment of ashoe upper to the rib. The strips may be reinforced with fabric material such as canvas-on duck which is vulcanized to the upper. sides of the strips and, on the strip having arib, covers both sides of the rib, thereby strengthening the rib and providing asurface more suitable than rubber for one of the staple-inserting instrumentalities, for example the anvil, to slide against where the upper is to be temporarily" securedto the insole by staples." i

The methodof making theistrips consists, in

accordance with one aspect of the", invention, in

pressing the materials which areto form 'the strips between a pair of heated molds or platens having impressions therein *which will impart Inthe method disclosed in the applica tion referred to, .an insole which is to be used in v a shoe made ,in'accordancelwith a method disclosed in Letters Patentoof the United States 1,932,545, granted October 31,. l933,.in=the-name of George Goddu, has secured to its outer face, 15,;

The insole strips,

The rib on this type of' thedesired shapesto the strips. The materials are vulcanized together between the platens to form a flexible sheet reinforced on one side with fabric and having either a series of inclined surfacesextending lengthwise of the reinforced side of the sheet from which lips or ribs project or, where no rib is desired, a sheet having a smooth side and an irregular side subdivided by a series of relatively narrow surfaces disposed at an angle to the smooth side of the sheet, these narrow inclined surfaces extending across the entire length of the sheet. Theinsole strips are then formed by cutting the sheet lengthwise adjacent to, the bases of the ribs or, where no ribs are present, by cutting it lengthwise between each pair of inclined surfaces.

The strips are attached to the outer face of an insole, in accordance with another aspect of the inventiomby cutting each strip into lengths appropriate for the insole to be prepared and applying rubber cement to the bottom or rubber side of the strip. The strips are then positioned on the outer face of a relatively thin flexible insole each strip being spaced inwardly from the provide either an upstanding rib for receiving stitches or ordinary staples, or willprovide material'into which curved staples can be inserted at'those portions of a shoe where the side lasting operation is performed.

The "wedge-shaped upper-attaching strip without a rib, as illustrated, is flat across its upper surface and tapers toward one edge of the strip so that no substantial shoulder or ridge will" be formed at the inner edge of the feather portion of theinsoleto which it is secured. This type of strip is utilized when an upper is to be secured inlasted relation to an insole by curved staples which pass through the upper and into the material of the strip without penetrating the body of theinso-le, the staples being insertedin that portion of 'thestrip which is located farthest from the insole margin and which is of sufficient thickness to permit the curved legs of the staples to extend into the material of the strip without passing completely therethrough.

-The above and other features and aspects of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description when read in connection .with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the lower mold or platen of the vulcanizing press which is utilized in practising the present method;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the platen shown in Fig. 1 with a strip of fabric material being pressed into the inclined grooves;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the platen after the fabric has been formed in the grooves and a layer of rubber composition has been deposited upon the fabric;

Fig. 4 shows the upper platen being pressed against the lower platen to force the rubber material into the grooves;

Fig. 5 shows the fabric-covered rubber sheet after it has been removed from the vulcanizing press, inverted, and in the process of being out into strips;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an insole after the ribbed strips havebeen attached to its outer face from about the tip line tothe heel-breast line, the insole being reinforced rearwardly of the ball linewith fibre; and

Fig. l is a perspective View of an all leather insole having cemented to each side of its outer face a wedge-shaped insole'strip.

In practising the method of the present invention as illustrated herein there is provided a 'vulcanizing press comprising a lower mold or platen if), preferably of steel, having formed therein a series of parallel slots or grooves H which are located approximately three-eighths of an inch apart. The grooves are preferably a quarter of an inch deep and about half as wide and extend'across the full width of the platen.

As shown in Fig. 2, the grooves are not vertical but are inclined at an angle relatively to the lower horizontal surface of the platen. The upper surfaces of the areas of the platen which extend between. the grooves if, indicated by the numerals M, are also inclined at an angle relatively to the horizontal, each of these surfaces being so positioned with respect to the groove at its left, as viewed in Fig. 2, that it forms an angle of approximately eighty-five degrees with such groove. By this arrangement each groove l2 will be positioned at a slightly acute angle relatively to the inclined surface It which is located K as a pair of elongated blades i8 and l9 (Fig. 2)

provided with handles (not shown) and arranged to be inserted alternately into successive grooves until the fabric material has been completely tucked therein. In performing this operation the tool last used should be leftin, it's groove until after the first tool has beenwithdrawn from the groove behind and inserted in the groove ahead of the first-mentioned groove, thus insuring that the fabric material will be held firmly in place by one tool while the other tool is being withdrawn from the rear groove and inserted in the groove ahead.

After the sheet of fabric material it has been completely formed to the shapes of the grooves in the platen it, a layer of rubber composition 20 in a soft plastic condition is spread over the fabric material. This rubber composition is preferably composed of scrap crepe rubber mixed with fibre although it may be composed of any analogous rubber. composition which is capable of being molded into any desired shape and which will form a relatively rigid mass upon the application of sufficient heat, for example, upon being vulcanized.

An upper platen 22, which cooperates with the lower platen Ill and which forms the other member of the vulcanizing press, is now brought down against the layer of rubber composition 20, the

platen 22 comprising a rectangular plate (Fig. 4) having a substantially flat bottom surface for engagement with the rubber composition. The platen 22 is pressed forcibly against the lower platen and both members are heated to a suitable vulcanizing temperature, the pressure being supplied, for example, by means of a pressing device of any well-known type, illustrated herein as a pair of presser plates 24 and 26. The heat and pressure thus applied will cause the rubber composition to enter the grooves 52 and the areas between the grooves, thereby filling the folds in the fabric material which lie in the grooves and in the spaces formed by the inclined surfaces M between the grooves. When sufficient heat and pressure have been applied, the fabric-material and rubber become vulcanized together to form a continuous sheet 23 of rubber reinforced on one side with fabric material, the upper and lowersurfaces of the sheet taking the shapes of the corresponding surfaces of the platens.

The platens are next separated and the rubber sheet 28 is removed therefrom. Fig. 5 shows the sheet removed from the vulcanizing press and inverted so that the portions which were located in the grooves -now project upwardly in the form of upstanding ribs or lips 36. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the ribs 36 are inclined toward the.

intermediate portions of the sheet which connect the ribs, these portions being indicated by the numeral 32. Owing to the peculiar formation of the lower platen t0, the upper surface or each of these intermediate portions 32 is inclined downwardly away from the lip 38 which is locatedv at its forward edge, as viewed in Fig. 5; The lower surface 34 of the sheet 28 is perfectly flat so that it forms with each inclined surface 32 a tapered or wedge-shaped intermediate portion 3'5, the ribs 38 being located at the thicker edges of the wedge-shaped portions. As shown in Fig. 5 both sides of the upstanding ribs 3c are reinforced with fabric material which is vulcanized to the sheet, whereas the under side 34 of the sheet has no fabric covering.

After the ribbed sheet 28 has been removed from the vulcanizing press the next step is to cut it into strips suitable for attachment to an insole. This may be accomplished by means of a rotary cutter of any well-known type or it may, if desired, be performedby hand, for example, with a knife or shears. The'strips are formed by cutting along the base of each rib 39 at the side which is adjacent to the thin edge of the wedge-shaped intermediate portion, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby separating the sheet into a plurality of strips 36 each having an upwardly extending rib 39 at one edge which is inclined toward the upper surface of a laterally extending wedge-shaped base portion 32, the base portion terminating approximately three-eighths of an inch laterally of the rib. As stated, the upper side of the strip, and both sides of the .rib are reinforced with fabric material vulcanized to the rubber, while the under side of the strip is composed of rubber composition, thereby providing a suitable surface for receiving rubber cement. I

The strips 36 are now ready-to be attached to, tneouter face of anlinsole. Accordingly, two, sections ,are cut; from ,a severed ,strip, ?36,, -.thes e. sections being cut into lengths which willextend approximatelyfrom the tip line tothe ballline or to the heel breast line of a selectedinsole, The

insole38, illustratedin Fig. 6, comprises-a relatively thin body portionfpreferably of leather reinforced rearwardly of the ball line with) a layer of the insole.) i, fITheunder surface of-each strip 36 is now coat ed'with rubber cement by which, the stripyis; to-be secured to the insole. The stripsarethen placed,

upon the outer face of the insole in such ajposi: tion that their forward ends will coincide substantially with the tip line, each strip being spaced inwardly from the edge of the insole margin a distance corresponding approximately to the width of the feather portion of the insole, as, shown in Fig. 6. The sides of the strips which have the ribs 30 projecting therefrom are located in which a. pair of insole strips are cemented to the outer face of a leather insole 52 at predetermined distances inwardly of its margins, the strips 50 being substantially wedge-shaped in transverse section and extending from about the tip line to the heel-breast line of the insole. The wedge-shaped strips shown in Fig; 7 may be made of a rubber composition composed of scrap crepe rubber mixed with fibre the same as the ribbed strips 36, or they may, if desired, be made or leather, canvas or some other suitable material. Since strips composed of vulcanized rubber are more flexible than those made of leather, fibre or canvas, and will therefore conform more readily to the curvatures of the longitudinal margins of an insole, they may be preferable for some types of insoles rather than strips made of leather or similar materials, The rubber composition can be vulcanized in the form of a single sheet between the platens l0 and 22 of the vulcanizing press, the grooves l2 in the lower platen Hi, however, being first plugged up so that no ribs will be formed on the lower side of the sheet. A layer of fabric material, such as canvas or duck, should be laid upon the platen l0 before the rubber composition is placed thereon so that the rubber sheet will be reinforced on one side with fabric material. After the canvas has been vulcanized to the rubber, the sheet can be removed and cut into substantially wedge-shaped strips 58 suitable for attachment to an insole. Each strip 50 is then cut into lengths which will extend substantially from the tip line to the heel-breast line of a selected insole and the strip positioned on the insole with its thick edge farthest from the insolemargin so that the upper surface of the strip will taper downwardly as it approachesthe feather portion of the insole, thereby preventing the formation of a substantial shoulder or ridge at the inner edge of the insole margin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is: e 1. That improvement in methods of making strips for insoles which consists in vulcanizing fabric material to one side of a layer of rubber composition between a pair of molds adapted to produce; a rubber sheethavinginclined ribs extending in parallel relation across the sheet, said ribs beingreinforced-ontheir outer surfaces with fabric material, and cutting said sheet along the base of each rib to; form ribbed stripssuitable for attachment to insoles. f a H 2That improvement in-methods of making strips-,for insoles which consists in vulcanizing fabric material to one side of a layer of rubber composition ina pairof molds shaped to form insolestrips having inclined ribs, thereby producing; flexible rubber strips reinforced on one side only with fabric material and adapted to be secured 5 to an insole by cement applied to,

theside-which is not reinforced, i

3. That improvement in methods of making strips for insoles which consists in lining a mold with fabric material, said mold having a series of parallel grooves extending longitudinally thereof, forcing rubber composition into the mold by means of a flat mold, heating the molds to vulcanize thefabric to the rubber composition, thereby producing a flexible rubbersheet having on one side a series of parallel ribs reinforced with fabric material and having an opposite fiat side of rubber adapted to be attached to an insole by rubber cement, and thereafter cutting the rubber sheet into single ribbedstrips.

4. That improvement inmethods of making strips for insoles which consists in lining a mold with a sheet of fabric material, said mold having a series of parallel grooves disposed at an angle to inclined surfaces separating said grooves, depositing a layer of rubber composition on the sheet of fabric material, pressing the rubber composition against the fabric with a fiat upper mold until said composition fills the grooves and the spaces between the grooves, heating the molds to vulcanize the materials together in the shape imparted by the molds, andcutting the resulting material along the bases of the ribs formed by the grooves to produce strips each having a tapered base portion and a rib inclined at an angle to the upper surface of said base portion, the rib and the inclined upper surface of the base portion being reinforced with fabric material and the fiat bottom surface of the base portion being of rubber.

'5. That improvement in methods of making strips for insoles which consists in vulcanizing a sheet of fabric material to a layer of rubber composition between a pair of heated platens to form a rubber sheet reinforced on one side with fabric material, the platen which engages the fabric material being provided with a series of inclined parallel grooves, thereby forming on the reinforced side of the sheet a series of inclined parallel ribs, and cutting the rubber sheet along one side of the base of each rib to form a plurality of rubber strips each having an inclined rib projecting upwardly therefrom, the rib being reinforced on both sides with fabric material.

6. That improvement inmethods of making ribbed strips for insoles which consists in vulcanizing together a sheet of fabric material and a layer of rubber composition between a pair of heated platens to form a fabric covered rubber sheet, the platen which engages the fabric material being provided with inclined parallel grooves which form inclined ribs on the fabric covered side of the sheet, said platen also having inclined surfaces between the grooves for causing the portions of the sheet between the inclined ribs to taper width-wise of the sheet, and cutting along the base of each rib to form a plurality of rubber strips each having an inclined rib extending from a tapered base portion, said rubber strips being reinforcedonly on their ribbed sides with fabric 'rnaterial.

'7. That improvement in methods of making strips for insoles which consists inplacing a sheet of fabric material and a layer of rubber composition between a pair of heated platem, one ofwhich has a substantially flat surface adapted to cooperate with a grooved surface on the other platen, the grooves in the last-mentioned platen being inclined relatively to the horizontal and being located in parallel relation to each other between surfaces which are also inclined relatively to the horizontal but at a-different angle from the grooves, pressing the platens together to vulcanize the materials into a single rubber sheet having on one side a plurality 

